There seems to be a lot of negativity out there considering the Buckeyes' postseason chances. This is understandable considering the disheartening loss last night. But instead of adding to the 'we peaked too early,' 'our guards aren't good enough,' etc. comments, here are a few reasons why I think the Bucks could still on a run:
1. Chris Holtmann kinda sucks in conference tournaments (0-3 @ Butler) for whatever reasons. But those Butler teams won at least one game in all 3 NCAA Tourney appearances, including the Sweet 16 last year.
2. Rest is better than rust. Butler went to two national championships, Wichita State a Final 4, etc. after long layoffs. I think rust is overrated and, at the least, not a definite factor. But this team was definitely tired at the end of the year. There is no denying that. Though annoying as a fan, I think the long layoff will be a good thing. Get rested and try to prepare for every possible style of play and scenario. Plenty of time to do both.
3. Keita might have just played his best half of basketball in a month. He was aggressive and assertive, scoring 17 pts in every way possible in the 2nd half against arguably the best defender in the league in Josh Reaves. He looked worn down for most of the last 2-3 weeks of the season. He looked refreshed in the 2nd half last night. Now he has more time to rest and re-charge.
4. Getting away from the physical Big 10 will be a good thing for this team. Tate thrives in this world, but not sure the rest of the Buckeyes do too well. And let's be honest, the refs let these teams get away with too much in this league, especially the 2nd half of the season. It will be called closer in the NCAA tourney. This may hurt Tate a little, but should help the rest of the team.
5. This team's chemistry is really strong. Anyone who watched Tate's senior day speech could see how close they are. I think losing to the same team 3 times could fracture a lot of teams. This team will handle this loss much better than most of its fans. And frankly, other than the defensive rebounding issues in the 1st half, I thought we played pretty well. The refs did us no favors (per usual it seems like lately), Carr banks in a 3, Keita uncharacteristically misses the front end of a one and one down the stretch, etc. And the Bucks lost by 1 pt.
Shit happens. Bum juice. Now let's go win 2 or more in the NCAA tourney while Penn State can go on a cute run in the NIT.
